Empathy for others is a trait that must be learned -- and parents are the best people to teach it. Volunteering together is an excellent way to increase your child's social and emotional growth while spending quality time together.

Halloween is the biggest night of the year for kids -- and for accidents involving kids. Here are some tips to ensure your trick-or-treaters are running to ring doorbells and not racing to the emergency room.>>

In the mood to clown around with your kids? Step right up! Grab a kazoo and some face paint, and create your own magical circus -- no tickets required!>>

By Gail Belsky

Summer is a time for family adventures, relaxing together and building "forever" memories. As the season comes to an end, you can upload your photos and leave it at that -- or you can create a group keepsake that lets the entire family relive and savor the special moments of summer. Here are some quick and creative craft activities everyone can do together (which creates another memory to preserve!).

Scrap It Together

Making a family scrapbook lets you assemble everyone's favorite moments in one place. But instead of you doing it for them, let every family member contribute as the spirit moves them. Put a stack of summer photos, a bunch of markers and a blank scrapbook on the dining room or coffee table. As family members pass by, each can choose a photo, put it on a page and write about their favorite moments.

Draw It from Memory

Buy a large sketchpad, an assortment of colored pencils and some fine tip markers. Give everyone a sheet to sketch his favorite part of vacation or weekend outings. Encourage creativity. Drawings can be literal, abstract, funny or serious -- whatever captures the spirit and imagination of the artist!

Collect and Create

Gather up the mementos that family members collected over the summer: seashells, interesting stones, postcards and the like. If you don't have any, go to your local dollar store and buy little items that represent what you've done. As a family, mount the items on a giant piece of foam board and display it where everyone can see.

You can display your special memories, or share them with others, by designing your own T-shirts. As a family, create a name or logo for your vacation or favorite summer activity. Then choose a photo or image to go with it. Using an online customized T-shirt printer, upload your logo and photo, and print as many shirts as you want. Prices vary, so check around before you buy. You can also print customized beach towels to use next summer!

Carve It in… Wood

Carving and whittling are two of the world's oldest crafts and, in addition to being fun, they help kids to build fine motor skills and sustain focus. Have each family member sketch some images of his or her summer memories on a piece of paper that they can then copy in their carvings. Younger children can start out carving in soap, but older ones can use lumber or tree branches. They can even carve a walking stick for next summer's adventures.

Give Back

One way to preserve a memory is to keep it going. Sit down together and talk about the best things you did or saw over the summer. Then, come up with a charity to support based on your most memorable experience. You might decide to donate to a wildlife preservation group, a local historical society or an animal rescue program -- something that will help protect the places that provide those special memories in the first place.

Gail Belsky has worked on a variety of women's publications, including Parents, Working Mother and All You, and she recently wrote a book for women entitled The List: 100 Ways to Shake Up Your Life. She is the managing editor of Your Family Today.

SPOKANE, Wash. - The ratings for the 2013-2014 school year for Washington State high schools, middle schools and elementary schools came out this week from the Washington State Board of Education.>>

SPOKANE, Wash. - The ratings for the 2013-2014 school year for Washington State high schools, middle schools and elementary schools came out this week from the Washington State Board of Education. The schools were ranked based on their average growth in math and reading of all students and specific subgroups.>>

SPOKANE, Wash. - It's the end of another school year... marking the 27th year KHQ and Eastern Washington University have partnered together to celebrate some of the region's best teachers through the Teacher of the Month program. Congratulations... from KHQ Local News and from Eastern Washington University.>>

SPOKANE, Wash. - It's the end of another school year... marking the 27th year KHQ and Eastern Washington University have partnered together to celebrate some of the region's best teachers through the Teacher of the Month program. Congratulations... from KHQ Local News and from Eastern Washington University.>>

Tuition, fees, housing, books, financial aid, student loans, college savings plans. Yikes! With so many factors to consider, you might need a degree just to master the cost of attending college. For more great tips and a handy monthly budgeting worksheet, learn more from our friends at STCU.>>

Tuition, fees, housing, books, financial aid, student loans, college savings plans. Yikes! With so many factors to consider, you might need a degree just to master the cost of attending college. For more great tips and a handy monthly budgeting worksheet, learn more from our friends at STCU.>>

Michael Anderson Elementary on the Fairchild Air Force Base took the Challenge- so did Windsor Elementary in the Cheney School District. Their mission -to collect books for the Success By 6 Book Bank.>>

Michael Anderson Elementary on the Fairchild Air Force Base took the Challenge- so did Windsor Elementary in the Cheney School District. Their mission -to collect books for the Success By 6 Book Bank.>>

They say kids don't come with an instruction manual, yet parents, especially new parents are bombarded with all kinds of advice from friends and family. There are books and websites offering endless lists, tips and tricks for parenting. Jill Johnson, Communications Specialist for Family Resources at Community-Minded Enterprises and Success by 6 Board Member says you can teach your children with simple, everyday activities.>>

Want your Preschooler to Love Learning? Let them play! Gwendolyn Haley, Spokane County Library District Youth Services Manager, and Success By 6 Board Member, says playtime is the most important part of a preschooler's day.>>

Our Success By 6 Pediatrician, Dr. Mary Kay Wagner, host of our "Your Baby" series discusses the finer points of living with a 2 month old baby. >>

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